


Caught in the Rain

by BlueNerdBird



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Origin Story, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2016-03-07
Packaged: 2018-05-25 06:30:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6184324
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueNerdBird/pseuds/BlueNerdBird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ladybug and Chat Noir learn a bit about each other after a nightly patrol.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Caught in the Rain

            The lights over Paris brought the stars to Earth. Glowing signs and street lights created constellations seen nowhere else on Earth. The Eiffel Tower was a beacon of its own, drawing people into the city and giving them a view that is unique to their city. If Marinette was honest with herself, it was moments like this that reminded her why she loved this city: sitting on a high rooftop somewhere in Paris, able to see all the city has to offer. It was quiet, no akumas at the moment, listening to the ambient noise of the city. The lights in the city made up for the lack of stars in the sky, all covered by thick clouds.

            "My lady, if we stay out here much longer we'll get caught in the rain." a familiar voice said from behind her.

            "It's not raining right now is it?" she asked, turning around to face her partner.

            "Well, no. I just figured since we're done with patrol, this is where we go home."

            "Come sit with me Chat." Marinette said, not quite ready to go home. At her house she knew that she had homework to finish and an argument with her parents still lingering in her mind. Staying out here was better than facing the music back at the bakery.

            "Okay." he replied, and sat down next to her, letting his feet dangle over the side of the building. "Is everything alright Ladybug? You seem upset." Chat noticed, and she was grateful for a lack of jokes. Despite all his puns, he was excellent at knowing when not to use them.

            "It's nothing. All the akumas this week made it hard to get all my homework done and now my parents are mad. Plus they almost caught me transforming into Ladybug the other day, and I almost wonder if they suspect something." she said, the words leaving her mouth before she could stop them. It was unusual for them to talk about their lives outside Ladybug and Chat Noir, but it had been bothering her all night. For someone who had always had a good relationship with her parents, having an argument with them made her feel terrible.

            "I'm sorry about your parents. What are they like otherwise?" Chat questioned, he wanted to know more about his partner, and this was one of the first times she had done so. It must have been serious to be on her mind all night.

            "They're usually really nice, maybe a little overprotective, but we don't fight much. What are yours like?" she asked Chat. He turned his body away from her slightly, he had hoped to stray away from such a topic.

            "Not like yours. My mom... she used to be. Like yours, overprotective but amazing and wonderful, she had the most beautiful smile." Chat closed his eyes and remembered, the warmth of her smile, the halo her blonde hair created, the feeling of her arms around him.

            Marinette sensed that she had ventured into a sensitive territory.

            "I'm sorry Chat... I didn't..." she tried to backtrack, but he held up a hand.

            "It's fine my Lady. I just haven't had anyone to talk to about her. I don't have too many friends and my father..." his voice got quiet, "my father doesn't like to talk about it."

            Chat almost jumped as he felt a hand cover his.

            "Chat, if you need someone to talk to..." Ladybug said gently, but he shook his head

            "Look at you, even when you're upset you still comfort others." he felt tears prick at his eyes, "What have I done to deserve someone like you as a friend?"

            Her mouth dropped open.

            "You can't be serious! Chat, without you I would have died by now. You help save Paris on a daily basis and you want to help people more than anything. You throw yourself into danger without a thought to your own safety, like that akuma last week. I was so afraid I'd lost you, all because you ran straight for the guy hurling fireballs. He almost hit a child and you took the blow. If our suits weren't built to withstand that..." she felt emotion building in her throat, how could he not realize any of this? "Chat I couldn't have asked for a better partner."

            She looked at him and saw his eyes get watery.

            "This has to be a dream, I have the gift of destruction and bad luck, yet somehow I have you. All my life I have just wanted a friend, and while I have a few in my other life, nothing compares to fighting alongside you Ladybug."

            They were both silent for a second as they processed each other's words. Marinette was still taken aback by how little he thought of himself, and his mother. She wished for her partner to be happy, because for the first time she could almost see beyond the mask: a lonely boy wanting to get away.

            Chat meant what he said, after being around his father, Natalie, and the Gorilla all the time, affection was rare. Ever since his mother, there had not been anyone that he could talk to about things beyond the obvious. He felt himself leaning against her as he realized how much he had needed someone to connect to.

            "I'm sure your parents aren't really mad, you could just use the excuse that you have started working out, or doing charity work or something. They're lucky to know you Ladybug." he said, and was grateful that she remained at his side. Her hand still covered his, and while it was small, her presence was the most comforting thing he had felt in a long time.

            "Thank you Chat." she said, and his eyes went wide as her head leaned against his shoulder. He said nothing, not daring to break a moment he had been dreaming of since the time they were tangled in her yo-yo together.

            Being with her in such a relaxed way made his heart soar, and for one fleeting moment, he wasn't worried about making his father happy or being the image of the Agreste family. He was simply someone who was falling head over heels for his friend, but he couldn't let his mind go down that road. He didn't want to let something like that get in the way of the closest friend he had ever had. Chloe had been a friend of his since he was a child, but it had never really moved past him appeasing her whims and spending habits. He would be with her as she played dress-up, telling her she looked great in all the dresses just so he could get a tiny bit of approval from someone that wasn't his father.

            Now here he was, leaning his head slightly against Ladybug's as they watched Paris together. There was no expectation to make anyone happy, he was free. Free from the pressure of being an Agreste.

            Freedom was wearing a black mask and a skin-tight suit. No, it was beyond that, it was being unafraid to express himself and his emotions. He was free with his words, especially to Ladybug, and he knew he flirted with her often, and it was part being drunk on freedom and part being so in love with Ladybug he could hardly see straight around her. He was drawn to her, to be around her, to talk to her, to work together with her. Whether her feelings were the same wasn't even his main concern, at this point he wanted her to be happy.

            "Ladybug, being partners with you is one of the best things that's ever happened to me." Chat said, and whether it was the inescapable feelings growing in his chest or the confessions they had made, he had to get the words out before they burned his throat.

            He worried that something was wrong as she pulled away from him slightly. While he turned to find her gaze, he felt a pair of arms wrap tightly around him as they met in a hug. It was trust, communicating more than words ever could, and Chat wanted to cry. Nino was a great friend of his, but they talked mostly of interests and of other teenage things. In these suits, they were more than just teenagers with a secret, they were legacies passed down throughout history. Adrien felt complete as he hugged her, a lasting hug where there was as little space between them as possible, both trying to hold onto the other so that they could escape their civilian lives.

            When they broke apart, Chat felt a part of him was left in her arms, but he knew that it was getting late. He had school tomorrow, and it sounded like Ladybug had homework as well. The both stood up, as if to leave, but hesitated.

            "We should..."

            "It's probably time..."

            They spoke at the same time, and they both laughed nervously. Had something changed between them? Neither was quite sure. A tiny raindrop fell onto Ladybug's nose, and she scrunched her face up at it. Chat didn't see the raindrop, only her face, and was very confused.

            "Ladybug?" he asked, before a raindrop made one of his ears twitch.

            "I think it's..." she started, but before she could finish the rain came down harder. Neither had time to process it before they both broke into laughter.

            "Aren't cats afraid of water?" Ladybug teased, and Chat grinned at her.

            "I happen to like the rain." he replied, and as they both stood there he was reminded of the other time he remembered making a friend for the first time. It was tentative and unsure, still in the beginning of a friendship, but it had been the first real friendship he had known. He almost wished for an umbrella to offer Ladybug.

            "I like it too." Ladybug replied. As much as she had come to care for Chat, she couldn't get Adrien out of her mind. A rainstorm like this had been the beginning of her crush on him, and despite that, she couldn't get her heart to stop racing as she stood next to her partner.

            "I'd offer you an umbrella if I had one." Chat offered, and this only tugged at Marinette's heart more.

            "Thanks kitty, but I think it's a sign we should head home." Ladybug said.

            "Probably, but before you go swinging away I want to do this." Before she could fit in a word, Chat leaned over and kissed her cheek affectionately.

            "See you around my Lady."

            Marinette touched her cheek as she watched the cat bounce away on his baton. She knew her face was becoming flushed and her heart had started to race even more than before.

            "Good night Chat."

**Author's Note:**

> Yes I did put in the obvious parallel (if you have seen the origin episode) it's not a huge part of the story that it makes a difference if you've seen it. The season finale was just so beautiful, I felt compelled to try and explore these characters a little bit.


End file.
